Book: Oryx & Crake

I've read one other Margaret Atwood book: A Handmaid's Tale which I really loved. This book is in a similar time-future: that of a decayed world, but this one definitely post-apocalyptic. The main character is Snowman, a sad, anti-hero that I although I got close to him, I never really liked him, but that's beside the point: his defects are his humaness in a world that is devoid of any humanity. He is the innocent fool in a world gone very askew.

Atwood's novel is a harsh, but compelling vision. I loved the mix of science fiction with ancient allegory. The novel portrays a world where genetic manipulation is an everyday event and corporations compete against each other through viruses and biotech warfare. Reminded me of that great line of TS Eliot's:

This is the way the world ends, Not with a bang but a whimper

[The Hollow Men, 1925]

Intense but a great read. I give it 3.5 *** stars...